Extension

Does money burn a hole in your pocket? Does buyer’s remorse set in after your money is spent? If this pattern sounds familiar, you need to learn how to manage your spending so you buy the things you need now and save for the things you will need in the future.

Some questions have come through the Extension Office recently involving these moldy-looking “things” on the bark of trees. What are they? Do they hurt the tree? Let us learn a little more…

These living organisms are called lichens. A lichen is actually composed of two different organisms, an alga and a fungus, which grow together for the mutual benefit of one another. The fungus provides the structure to the lichen and the alga provides the food through photosynthesis.

Last week Ryan and Colton Gosser attended the state 4-H shooting sports camp. Colton participated in all disciplines of shooting sports and also received his hunter’s education certification. What a great way for a father and son to spend quality time together enjoying what both of them love to do!

Cooking, eating and talking together are healthy mealtime habits the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service is encouraging families to adopt with Recipes for Life. This nutrition and cooking program will inspire county residents to make mealtime family time, while equipping youth with kitchen experience and skills to create healthy foods at home.

Spring is in the air and warm weather is a nice welcome. We all need to get outside and enjoy the sunshine and get some exercise in the process.

Walking is one of the easiest ways to be physically active. You can do it almost anywhere and at any time. Walking is also inexpensive. All you need is a pair of shoes and sturdy heel support. Walking gives you more energy, makes you feel good, helps you relax, reduces stress, helps you sleep better, and helps control your appetite.

The ultimate test of forage quality is animal performance. Producing high quality forages is vital to improved animal performance, whether your goal is more pounds of milk, a higher rate of gain, increased wool production or an improved conception rate.

Forages provide a major percentage of the nutrients for beef cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and ruminant wildlife. If the quality is not right, you cannot feed animals enough forage to achieve production goals.

4-H Teen Council President Andrea Searcy wrote a grant that supports downtown businesses as well as Carroll County 4-H. Three clovers are distributed in a business and prizes given for the people who find them. Thanks Dinah Marshall for volunteering to be the first business where the clovers were hidden in Artful Gifts. The winners were: Andrew Frye, Angela Rodgers, and Stacy Tuttle.

Starting April 10, three clovers will be hidden in another business. Here are the clues:

Spring is in the air and it is time to get out of the house and Get Moving! Active living not only helps your family stay healthy, but is a great way to enjoy family time. Kentucky adults are not moving enough which is putting them at risk for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Unfortunately, physically inactive children are also at risk.